Pole or shaft coupling.



No. 666,206. Patented lan.` I5, |90I. R. 0. NEVILLE.

PDLE 0R SHAFT CUUPLING.

(Application filed June 15, 1900. y

a INI /N VEA/Tof? @V7/Mgg A TTOHNEYS NITED STATES ROBERT O. NEVILLE, OFELKHART, INDIANA.

POLE OR SHAFT COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 666,206, dated January15, 1901.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1900. Serial No. 20,437. (No model.)

T 0 @ZZ whom t muy concern: j

Be it known that I, ROBERT O. NEVILLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pole or ShaftCouplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The invention relates to pole and shaft couplings; and the purpose ofthe invention is to provide a simple antirattling coupling of this classwhich will hold the pole-iron or thill-irons connected with thedraw-shackles while the pole or thills are in use, or when they havebeen placed in an upper or lower position for storage of the vehicle, orwhen the animal or animals are unharnessed, and, furthermore, to soconstruct the device that the thill-irons or pole-iron may be quicklyand conveniently disconnected from the drawshackles of the vehicle whenoccasion may demand.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved coupling. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section through the complete coupling. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section on the line 8 3 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is adetail perspective view of the bushing used in connection with thedraw-shackle.

A represents an axle of a vehicle, and B the draw-shackle which iscarried by the axle. This draw-shackle consists of a clip 10, securedtothe axle in any suitable or approved manner, and this clip at itsupper forward portion is provided with horizontal parallel jaws 11, inwhich jaws a bolt 12 is located, having a head 13 at one end and a nut14 at the opposite end, as is illustrated in Fig. 3.

A sleeve 15 is mounted to turn on the bolt 12 between the jaws 11 of theclip, and, as shown in Fig. 4, this sleeve is provided with longitudinalslots 15a in opposite sides, so that the sleeve may it snugly to thebolt 12, around which it turns, and thus obviate any rattling noise inthe operation of the device. This sleeve 15 is provided with adownwardly extending member 16, and this member 16 is attached by a rodora pin 17 to an elastic or yielding block 17, preferably of rubber, thebottom portion of which block is fitted with a metal shoe 18, and thisshoe is attached to the block 17 by means of one or more pins or rods19, as is shown in Fig. 3.

D represents a thill or pole which is attached to an iron O,curved atirs inner or rear end,the attachment of the thill or pole being made inany suitable or approved manner. At the inner end of the iron C an openshaft-eye 20 is formed. This shaft-eye is preferably of inverted-U shapeand is provided at the lower portion of its members at one side withrecesses 2l, and in each of said recesses a cavity is made in the bottomwall thereof. The recesses admit and the cavities in the recesses of theshaft-eye receive trunnions 22, which extend from a lock-lever E, whichlock-lever is also substantially of a U shape, and when its trunnionsare placed in the recesses 21 the locklever has a hinged or pivotalconnection with the open shaft-eye 20, arid when the lever E is inlocking position its free end extends up over the upper portion of theshaft-eye 20, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and a plain surface 23 at theupper portion of the pivotal end of the lever E is in engagement withthe shoe 18 of the elastic block 17, compressing said shoe, and thiselastic block serves to assist in holding the lever in its lockedposition and also tends to contract the sleeve or bushing 15 around thebolt 12, upon which it turns.

The lock-lever E is eccentrically mounted in the shaft-eye 20, andtherefore when the lock-lever is carried to its locking position it willof its own accord remain in such position. When itis desired to removethe thills or pole from the draw shackle or shackles B, the lever E iscarried to a lowered position and disengaged from the shaft-eyes,whereupon the shaft-eyes may be raised and quickly disconnected from thedraw shackle or shackles; but this disconnection cannot be made untilthe pole or thills are in a full upper or rearwardlyextending position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-' IOO tends over and at opposite sides of the said'bushing, and a lock-lever eccentrically pivoted in the shaft-eye, whichlever is adapted to exert pressure on t'ne elastic member of the bushingwhen in a locked position, as described.

2. The combination, with the draw-shackle of a vehicle, a pin or boltcarried by the said shackle, a slotted bushing mounted upon the saidbolt or pin, and an elastic member connected with the under portion ofthe said bushing, of a shafteye substantially U- shaped, which shaft-eyeis passed over the low the same, the shafteye having open bearings atits lower portion, and a lever eccentrically mounted in the said openbearings,

which lever when in locking position exerts dlrect upward pressure onthe elastic member of the bushing, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a draw-shackle,

itom p ortifouof the bushing, and a metallic shoe at the bottom portionot' the block, of an open or inverted-U-shaped shaft-eye having fopenbearings in one side of its lower extremities, and a locking-levereccentrically mounted in the said open bearings, the said ilocking-leverbeing provided with a surface adapted to engage with the shoe of theflexible block when the said lever is in locking position, the upperportion of the lever when the lever is in locking position beingarranged to extend above the upper portion of the shaft-eye, for thepurpose described. said bushing, extending at opposite sides bei Intestimony whereofv I have signed my 5name to this specication in thepresence of `two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT O. NEVILLE.

Witnesses:

LoUIs S. FRINK, ARTHUR S. FRINK.

